lead guitarist is a real jerk

[dbsfgyd1]

We bass players are sociable and for the most part nice to be around people. We hardly have tendencies to rant for attention on stage and mostly like to just be the guys giving the foundation to the music or dragging along a drummer with bad pace ect..

In my band we're not professionals. We play solid originals. The music is good but we don't get booked (yet). We're still in the stage of making a name for ourselves. Previously the drummer changed and the new one is busy to settle in. The band leader and rhythm guitarist is a good guy. He writes good music. Apart from that unfortunately he isn't much more than a stick in the mud. However, I seem to be the only one who reaches out to actually get gigs. The lead guitarist is doing F%$k all. To rehearsals he basically shows up and doesn't even bother to bring his own instrument anymore instead renting one from the studio. He also likes to brag about his tinder success.
He then tends to complain about the gig's circumstances and doesn't like surprises.

When pointing out to him that on the other hand I will be surprised if one day he might come up with a gig himself the only text he sent back was: lmfao. I couldn't help to feel the need of rearranging his face the next time we meet. He is a good guitar player. That pretty much sums up the best I can say about this douche. How do you guys handle the lazy jackasses within your band?

We part company. Very Quickly. Life is way to short, and talent too easy to find to put up with ********.

 

[pigpen1]

We bass players are sociable and for the most part nice to be around people. We hardly have tendencies to rant for attention on stage and mostly like to just be the guys giving the foundation to the music or dragging along a drummer with bad pace ect..

In my band we're not professionals. We play solid originals. The music is good but we don't get booked (yet). We're still in the stage of making a name for ourselves. Previously the drummer changed and the new one is busy to settle in. The band leader and rhythm guitarist is a good guy. He writes good music. Apart from that unfortunately he isn't much more than a stick in the mud. However, I seem to be the only one who reaches out to actually get gigs. The lead guitarist is doing F%$k all. To rehearsals he basically shows up and doesn't even bother to bring his own instrument anymore instead renting one from the studio. He also likes to brag about his tinder success.
He then tends to complain about the gig's circumstances and doesn't like surprises.

When pointing out to him that on the other hand I will be surprised if one day he might come up with a gig himself the only text he sent back was: lmfao. I couldn't help to feel the need of rearranging his face the next time we meet. He is a good guitar player. That pretty much sums up the best I can say about this douche. How do you guys handle the lazy jackasses within your band?

Fire them or one if them. Good guitar players are easy to find. I work with 3 guys at my day job who have 20 years of gigging experience and can play pretty much anything you want. A few more are a call away. Good guys too, all of them.

 

[Krisfield]

Saw a YT clip by Pete Thorn talking about becoming a pro musician. He talked about the hang has got be good, otherwise it ain't worth it.

 

[Cliff Colton]

Rearrange his face first, and if it doesn’t work out, then quit and start a new band. Quitting at this point seems kind of drastic.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

Sounds like this guy enjoys the lifestyle of being in a band but won’t do any of the work required of being in a band. I’d also be really concerned about his attitude AT THE GIGS; does he act like a jerk to the venue staff, patrons, management, etc? If so he’s poisoning your brand.

Unless you’re hard up for guitarists wherever you live, I’d say to dump him effective immediately. Start looking for another guutarist and continue on as a trio until you find a good guitarist who’s also a good human being.

 

[klejst]

Lead guitarist a jerk? Man if I had a Nickle for every time...

Yeah move on, life really is too short for sure!

 

[fhm555]

I’ve often asked how good does one need to be in order to overlook the fact they are a flaming A-hole.

 

[pcake]

I've come to the conclusion that all the guitar players are jerks........ One way or another.

nah... i've played with lots of cool guitar players who know their parts, help out, work for the good of the band and are good to hang out with. heck, i married a guitar player. that being said, he has a lot of horror stories about guitar players he's played with - more than i do, actually.

I’ve often asked how good does one need to be in order to overlook the fact they are a flaming A-hole.

it truly doesn't matter how good a player is if they don't know the songs, because what you don't know, you can't play on stage. at that point, they're a noodler.

 

[josh-the-bass]

perhaps you will see the improvement in the LG you are looking for by playing with a new drummer? just a thought.

 

[QORC]

most musicians are kind of douches, to be honest. I assume it now and if any of them are not, I am happy and pleasantly surprised

 

[fhm555]

...it truly doesn't matter how good a player is if they don't know the songs, because what you don't know, you can't play on stage. at that point, they're a noodler.

I asked that originally about a guitar player who was really really good, always prepared, and wildly popular, but was also one of the most annoying individuals on the planet. It was not your typical which came first the guitar or the ego situations, the guy was just devoid of any hint of decency or class. He was truly great on the guitar but had trouble keeping any band members because of his abrasive personality. He fired a keyboard player who wanted to get headed home because his wife was expecting any day and the dickman wanted to hang around so he could hit on some guys wife. When the keyboard player mentioned it a second time the guy pitched a fit and not only fired him but put him and his gear out of the van and told him to find his own way home, two states away, and that kind of behavior was the rule rather than the exception. Last i heard he was not playing anymore because he couldn’t get anyone to work with him, which is a crying shame because the guy is truly magic with a guitar, and can sing as well as he plays, but he’s a wretched soul with zero people skills.

 

[MtManiac]

We bass players are sociable and for the most part nice to be around people. We hardly have tendencies to rant for attention on stage and mostly like to just be the guys giving the foundation to the music or dragging along a drummer with bad pace ect..

In my band we're not professionals. We play solid originals. The music is good but we don't get booked (yet). We're still in the stage of making a name for ourselves. Previously the drummer changed and the new one is busy to settle in. The band leader and rhythm guitarist is a good guy. He writes good music. Apart from that unfortunately he isn't much more than a stick in the mud. However, I seem to be the only one who reaches out to actually get gigs. The lead guitarist is doing **** all. To rehearsals he basically shows up and doesn't even bother to bring his own instrument anymore instead renting one from the studio. He also likes to brag about his tinder success.
He then tends to complain about the gig's circumstances and doesn't like surprises.

When pointing out to him that on the other hand I will be surprised if one day he might come up with a gig himself the only text he sent back was: lmfao. I couldn't help to feel the need of rearranging his face the next time we meet. He is a good guitar player. That pretty much sums up the best I can say about this douche. How do you guys handle the lazy jackasses within your band?

Don't waste any time at all playing with people who you have major issues with. It's toxic, and there are so many other alternatives available. Guitar players are a dime a dozen, even competent ones.

We just fired our drummer - great player, metronomic time, and meticulous about song structure. He was turning into a control freak, and was really rude to the guitar player's wife who'd printed out some set lists for us to use - this was my job, and I didn't get to it, so she was being helpful - he acted like she was taking over or something, and after two *weeks* would not let it drop. He also pushed back on learning four or five new songs for the following week because "in my experience, bands don't work out, so I don't want to spend a lot of time learning new songs, how about just two." Buddy, there are reasons why in your experience bands don't work out. Our guitar player called him and told him he was done, he accepted it like an adult, but then called the guitar player back at 8:00 AM Saturday morning for a post-mortem, a "what did I do wrong so I don't do it again" conversation. Before the guitar player could say anything, the drummer admitted he has a tendency to get controlling, bossy, and that his heart just really wasn't in it, and that he had to talk himself into coming for band practices. Like, if you don't want to be here, do yourself and the rest of us a favour, and don't be surprised when you get poopie-canned. Within a week of his last band rehearsal he was replaced by another drummer I know well and have played with lots in the past.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Fire the dude. Or move on.

 

[thetragichero]

thread title keeps showing up on the page and every time i think "yeah, usually"

 

[Pork_Chop]

What? Is there a shortage of guitar players where you live?

 

[Biggbass]

lead guitarist has to go.
guitarists are a dime a dozen. Find one with a good personality.

 

[bass_case]

This is the best reply @DiabolusInMusic . I abhor the term d****e. It's been used so long as an insult people forget it's really a slam to women. And you're right-- threatening to 'rearrange someone's face' is very immature. It's not how a business would get things done. Imagine being a car salesman. "He was bad as a car salesman and a d****e. So I went out and rearranged his face and he still can't sell cars."
To the OP get your business act together or the band will never go anywhere. A good band has good business sense and doesn't get personal on obstacles. Best of luck to the OP.

I dunno... to paraphrase Groucho Marx: walks like douche, talks like a douche, must be a douche.

 

[ZAR14]

I've known several band members that were D-Bags. And yes the majority were Lead Guitarists.
Because I liked being in a band, back in the day I delt with it, while dealing it right back. At my age now I do not put up with it, my approach is either He goes or I go. My most recent situation was as the Bass player in a Tribute band with a Lead Guitarist that was a very talented musician but also a total Jerk.
He was very much a "Me, Me, Me" person and when someone challenged him, he started playing the "Victim Card" . After about 2 1/2 months of his crap I walked, Its not worth it. And after I left two different Bass players walked away from that band...

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I dunno... to paraphrase Groucho Marx: walks like douche, talks like a douche, must be a douche.

"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted." ~Groucho Marx